


Prototype

by DemonicClaymore



Category: Original Work
Genre: Action/Adventure, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Drama, Future Fic, Gen, M/M, Novel, Original Character(s), Original Fiction, Original Universe, Romance, Romantic Tension, Sci-Fi, Science Fiction, Sexual Tension, Unresolved Romantic Tension, original - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-08
Updated: 2013-10-20
Packaged: 2017-12-28 20:53:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/996586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DemonicClaymore/pseuds/DemonicClaymore
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Evan and his lover Ventus were separated because of Ventus’s accidental involvement with a high-tech microchip. In order to spare Evan the Hell of the situation, Ventus ran away and left Evan alone with nothing but a note. Four years later, Evan is still looking for him. When he finally finds him, he demands an answer for everything that had gone on that day. <br/>Evan wants to stay with Ventus and continue their relationship as it was before, but Ventus is convinced things can never be the same between them and tells Evan to leave him constantly. Evan refuses though and is convinced that things will work out once they can prove their innocence. Ventus tries to push Evan away, but can’t. He eventually tells Evan the story of what happened and how they are both in a lot of danger. The two must discover the entire truth about the microchip, their own relationship, and about the group of violent terrorists that seem to be after them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Out on his Own

**Author's Note:**

> This is an original story I've created based on the characters and story ideas of a client. She desired a boy's love/action/mystery story be written about her two characters based off an idea she had, and this is the results of my labor. I asked if I could post the story on my archive account and she said it should be fine. So, as I update the story, you will get to read it too!
> 
> I hope you all enjoy reading "Prototype"!   
> Warning: It's bond to get steamy in here.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Evan Weld is on the hunt for his dear friend and lover, Ventus Lacrise who disappeared four years ago. In a post modern world filled with impressive technology he knows so little about, Evan must work through the maze of each city and town he comes to in order to discover Ventus’s whereabouts. He wants to ask him why he left with only a vague message to say goodbye while avoiding the “dangers” the note mentioned without knowing what those dangers might be.

Ventus’s tongue tasted of cigarette smoke and his hot breath reeked of his last fag that laid forgotten in the ashtray next to the bed. That bitter taste was something Evan had become accustomed to though. He accepted it just as he had accepted many other of his dearest friend’s flaws.

                  _At least_ , Evan thought to himself. _At least he’s not drunk again._

                  Honestly, it wouldn’t have mattered at that moment if Ventus had been completely wasted. The way that he was caressing Evan’s strong, darkly-tan colored abdomen made the younger man shudder and flitch. Ventus Larcise was known for being a very cold and resentful character most of the time. He acted as though he didn’t care about anything other than himself and his own satisfaction. However, in the past five years since their relationship had started, the much paler fleshed man had proven a very capable lover. Evan felt pride for knowing the secret side of his friend. He knew him in ways no one else would ever even guess at.

Even still, they were so timid around each other when it came to matters of intimacy. A small kiss here, a light touch there, and a swift gust of air passing over areas of tender skin every once in a while. It was rare that either male got farther than rubbing. It was rare that they even needed more than to press their bodies together to find contentment and release.

The way their bodies moved over each other’s reminded Evan of the days when he lived with his family by the beach. He and Ventus moved together like the waves of the ocean against the fragile shore. Evan smiled as he thought of this comparison. His blue tipped hair was pushed from his eyes by a nimble hand as he laughed. Ventus’s face had been edging closer for a kiss when the sound was heard. The other man stopped and stared at Evan for a moment with his brows knitting in concern.

“What?” Ventus asked defensively.

“Oh?” Evan looked at him and chuckled again. It was cute how the older man was still worried about whether or not his partner enjoyed his on-comings. “It’s nothing. I was just thinking.”

“Thinking? About what?”

“How good it feels,” Evan said simply.

It was clear that Ventus didn’t fully buy into his excuse, but he seemed more eager than usual to continue touching.

“Is everything alright?” Evan asked. He loved the attention, but it had been odd how suddenly Ventus had jumped him when he had arrived home.

“I love you.”

Evan blushed at the unexpected response. “That doesn’t answer my-“ His words were cut short by another kiss.

Ventus pulled back and whispered again, “I love you. Can’t that be enough?”

Evan wasn’t sure he understood what that meant, but he smiled softly and locked his dark haired lover into another embrace. “Yes,” he sighed. “I love you too.”

 

“Ventus?” Evan’s eyes opened and he blinked several times. His face was buried into his arm and he could smell that his shirt desperately needed a wash. The comfort of the memory was gone. “It was just a dream,” Evan reminded himself.

As Evan sat up and stretched out his sore muscles, he eyed his makeshift surroundings. His temporary bed in the cheap inn had been more comfortable than his night camping in the ally way, but it was a far cry from the comfort of the bedroom he had shared with the man he had just been dreaming about. It had been almost four years since he had seen that room or the house it lived in.

Evan sighed and then pulled a piece of paper from its safe place in his wallet. He opened it and let his eyes trace the familiar words etched in ink.

_Leave this place quietly and try to stay low for the next year. I’m sorry I can’t be with you. You’ll have to take care of yourself now. I love you, but you must never come looking for me. This is to protect you. Use Proto to help keep you safe. Stay away from all dangers. Don’t let them find you._

                 

                  The note was signed with the Weld tribe’s symbol for love. Evan had taught Ventus the written language of his tribe after they had met and began their relationship. It wasn’t just a romantic gesture to sign with it though. It was ambiguous. Ventus was a proud man and loved to sign his name. He considered it his autograph. The fact that he used this symbol to mark the letter and the contents of the letter told Evan that his lover was in some sort of trouble.

                  It also told him not to go searching for Ventus, but this was never a reasonable request. As soon as he had received the note the morning after their last night together, Evan had packed a bag and headed for a hotel. He tried to call Ventus, but he never answered. He tried to send a message to him to no avail. After waiting in the hotel for four nights, Evan returned to the home he had shared with Ventus for several years to find it in shambles. Someone had come into their home and torn it apart. Nothing was left in tact.

                  Evan had taken what few things he had left and hid from everyone, not knowing who the dangerous ones might be. He tried to make out the secrets of the letter and the events of that day, but he was trying to solve a puzzle without even half of the pieces. It was impossible. So, he chose to search for the most important piece, Ventus.

                  After many months of paranoia, Evan had failed to care for himself properly and collapsed, landing him in the hospital. When he awoke, he realized that it seemed safe for him to merely exist. No one seemed to be after him. However, all information about his dear friend had been stripped from The Network, the source of all societal information in the world. His citizen profile was gone. His university records were gone. His personal web pages were gone. There was nothing left.

                  From that day forward, Evan began a secret manhunt. Obviously Ventus would have come back for him if he could have. Since it seemed he could not, Evan vowed to find him instead. He swore to find Ventus and ask him what was going on and help him in any way that he could. 

The problem in this adventure wasn’t optimism. Evan had plenty of that. He knew he would find Ventus if he just kept looking and he was sure that he was fine somewhere hidden away. The issue wasn’t about the so-called dangers. Though Evan remained cautious, no one ever seemed to bother him or question his travels. No, the problem was something more embarrassing for the grown adult.

“I’m so hungry,” Evan whined and held his growling tummy. “But I’m almost out of funds again and I doubt I’ll meet another nice woman willing to trade my physical labor for pay.”

Evan Weld was terrible at caring for himself. He couldn’t do much of anything save for move heavy things and bring a smile to people’s faces. Which, in truth, had served him fine for most of his years. However, without the ability to cook, start a fire, wash one’s own clothes properly, clean well, or otherwise provide for himself, Evan had very few career options and an even less successful time taking care of the simple things while on his adventure.

Luckily, there was almost always someone willing to help the boy out. Due to his overwhelmingly charming personality, many people were willing to trade him small physical services for gifts of pay, food, or a place to stay. He had offered his services as a handsome advertisement spokesman for a place to sleep that week. Handing out flyers for a hotel for several good nights of sleep seemed incredibly reasonable. He was always thankful when he was blessed with these opportunities. Sadly, he knew he would have to leave and get back on the road to Metroville that day and he had no way to buy any extra food for the trek.

Evan stood and went to wash his face. He took off the small machine that was now a chronic accessory when he was alone and set it close by on the counter. After cleaning the sweat from his face and drying, he took a moment to observe his own features before placing the device back on.

The Proto.2 was the blue-lensed brother-hardware to the original product that Ventus had designed back in his university days. Not a marvel in function, but a marvel in design and exclusivity, the Proto. and Proto.2 were the only two of their kind. They were primitive functioning stealth tech. Ventus had mentioned using Proto to help him stay hidden, and Evan thought that if he continued to monitor Proto. 2’s scans that he just might find a signal from its sibling device. So far though, no luck.

“What the-?” As soon as the small unit was placed around his right ear and the blue transparent shield was dropped over his corresponding eye, Evan noticed something new. A warning red bar with flashing scribe was scrolling across the small screen. “Someone’s here!”

Evan nearly jumped as he turned and scoped out his room. It was safe, but a tiny directional arrow warned him the threat was to his right. “Outside.” There was a dark red line pulsing around the heat signature of a humanoid just outside of his room. Evan had only seen that sort of alert from his Proto three other times. Once was the day he found his home trashed after he pulled the last remaining photo of himself and Ventus from a burned album. That day, proto had gone berserk just as it was doing now. It had gone off in his pocket. When he had put the device onto his head, scans warned him of three figures with the same pulsing red aura outside. It was Evan’s instinct to flee and he had done so. Now, his accelerated pulse and mind was telling him the same thing. “Run!”

Evan grabbed up his bag, shoved all of his belongings into it quickly, and headed to his window. As he opened it, he stopped before leaping. He was on the third story of the little inn. He glanced around. “Arceus, help me.” Then he saw the half-foot ledge that led around the side of the building. “That will do!”

Accepting the opportunity, Evan braved the thin ledge and hugged the wall with his front. His back was heavy and slightly off balance from his bag catching in the wind, but he managed to keep himself upright using his strong core. His feet scuttled him across the building’s trimming and lead him to a lucky area between the inn and another building. The roof of the other structure was low enough that a simple leap would land him safety. Evan thought to kiss the largest tooth of his treasured necklace before jumping, but thought better of it. “Arceus and Maria, give me strength.”

He jumped and landed with a thud. Thankfully, the roof’s strong floor held and he escaped from the small town unnoticed.

Evan monitored the dangerous figure with Proto’s help and made sure he left it far behind. Still, Evan didn’t stop walking from the demonic aura until he could see the lights of the small city on the horizon. “There is it! The two-hundred and thirteenth city, Metroville.”


	2. Terrance Driver

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Evan meets with a stranger who seems kind and interested in helping him find Ventus. The man introduces himself as Terrance Driver, a loner looking for something to interest him enough to inspire him. He says that Evan’s problems inspire him and he wants to help the boy to see how it all pans out. They set out together to find Ventus.

“Darn it.” Evan was surprised at how exhausted he felt, but he refused to resort to the kind of crude language that Ventus had always just spat out. A simple complaint would suffice for the weary traveler tonight. Anyone else would tell him he had remarkable patience, but he felt like he was being pushed and his final nerve was being rubbed raw. “Once again, nothing.”

Metroville was a very simple city with an easy to maneuver network of streets and alleyways. This had been the most pleasurable part of his two-week experience in the city. It had made it easier to track his own movements. The trouble was, it seemed that someone else was tracking his whereabouts too. Every couple of hours or so, Evan would notice some strange red-hot reading in his Proto. 2, and soon after, the little warning beep would urge him to run. This had been a consistent problem since he left the demon aura behind in his hotel room fifteen days before. That pulsing threat that only his precious Ventus’s device revealed to him had followed him to Metroville. Worse still, it seemed to always be able to find him again no matter how long he hid or how much he moved or how stationary he became. It was always just a handful of minutes away from him. It seemed as though the figure was somehow tracking him, but Evan had no clue how or why.

Panting from his last mile run escape, Evan found himself a little more than a tad irritated with the game of cat and mouse he seemed to be playing with whoever it was that was following him. Sweat dripped down from his brow and stung his eyes. He stood straight and used the back of his sleeve to wipe the salty moisture from his face before looking around.

Proto was scanning the environment. It was always scanning now. Evan almost never took the device off. He had become very paranoid since noticing his tracker. Every so often, he would remove the headset and wash his face or rub his weary eyes, but even then he refused to leave the equipment off for too long. It was a survival tactic. His only chance of seeing the delightfully nicknamed “Red Ghosts” was Proto. He even wore the machine in his sleep.

“Great.” He smiled softly though his heart was aching. “At least I don’t see any Ghosts. Seems I lost them again.” Evan decided to walk around in the area until he could find a place to rest. Part of him, that lonely part deep in his chest that was affected by the occasional whisper of his more sadistic subconscious, left him feeling melancholy. He didn’t want to admit it, but a sort of solemn depression was tickling the back of his mind. He needed to rest for just an hour or two. Confidence came with clarity and clarity arrived when the mind and body were rested. “I’m sure I’ll find something soon,” he spoke optimistically. “I feel close. I know he won’t be too much further. I just need to rest. Maybe I’ll find him waiting for me when I wake!”

These words, his own self-assurance, actually did wonders for the man. Evan smiled more honestly and found himself at a place between two large buildings that was out of the way and let his body slump against the wall. He made a mental note to wake in just a couple hours. His body’s alarms usually woke him accordingly. However, he had overestimated how exhausted he really had become over the last few days of flight. When he closed his eyes in the alleyway, he fell into a deep sleep.

He didn’t wake in the two hours he had planned for. In fact, it had been nearly ten hours when something finally startled him awake.

 

A nightmare had crept in through the open window of Evan’s dreams. It left him wide-eyed in the waking world with his heart pounding in his chest. Suddenly, a man came into his view as he focused. Through the blue of Proto’s screen, Evan could see the man’s physical stats and body heat. The man’s center was burning hot and his own pulse was quite elevated.

_Elevated like a man who is scared… or a man excited for the hunt!_

Evan panicked and jumped up from his resting spot suddenly. The movement caused the other man in the alley to jump back a bit. He put his arms up in a timid defense and let out a, “Whow, man! Relax.”

“Who are you?” Evan demanded in a strict tone. His arm lashed out and his fingers curled into the fabric of the other man’s shirt. “What do you want?”

“No need to shout. Just calm down. I’m harmless! I swear.”

Evan was almost certain he had seen the man’s hand reaching out towards his face.

_Was he trying to steal Proto? Does he work for the Red Ghosts? Is he armed? Is he a threat?_

The raven-haired man with deep blue tips leered at his captured enemy and gave him two good once-overs. He almost growled as Proto revealed the man didn’t seem to have a red aura but he did have a gun hidden under his jacket. The stranger with dark red hair and a strong face with a sharp chin may not be a Ghost, but he was possibly dangerous and he had been reaching for Evan’s only defense.

“Why were you trying to take my eye piece?” Evan demanded.

“You’re what? No! Dude, please. You’ve got it all wrong. I’m no thief.” His hands were still up with the palms open toward Evan, and the man gave a defenseless shrug. “I have no idea what your deal is, buddy. But I saw you lying there and I was worried you had been mugged or someth’n. I was just going to shake your shoulder to see if you had any life left in ya or not. That’s all. Honest!”

Evan didn’t much care for the way he was behaving. The haze of sleep was finally lifting and the adrenaline pumped through his system from the shock was finally starting to ebb away. He tried to take a moment to clear his thoughts and take in what the man had said. It seemed like a plausible excuse, but he had to be sure the man wasn’t dangerous.

“Your pocket. You’re carrying a fire arm.”

The redhead’s eyes widened, and then he nodded. “Yeah, man. But she isn’t loaded.”

Evan allowed the slightly taller man to pull out his weapon after a moment and snatched it from him right after. He examined it, one hand still white knuckled as it held the alien at bay by his shirt’s collar. It was, in fact, not loaded at all.

The larger, darker skinned male eyed the other and noted Proto wasn’t picking up any signs of extra cartridges for the weapon. As if reading his questioning gaze, the other man added, “I just carry it around for safe protection. I never plan to hurt anyone with it. But it sure scares half-wits who think robb’n a guy is a fun extra circular.”

Evan finally relaxed a bit. He noticed that when he did so, the other guy suddenly dropped a few inches in height. Evan’s strong arm had actually been holding the other man up a couple inches off the ground. It was easy to forget his own strength sometimes, but now the normally peaceful island boy felt bad for the way he had jumped this man who had only come by to offer his help.

“I’m sorry,” Evan finally said and relinquished his hold on his victim. “I had a startling dream, and I panicked when I saw you-“

“Don’t even think about it,” the stranger laughed. Evan noticed how perfect and white his teeth looked as he grinned. “I would have probably done the same thing. I don’t blame ya for being scared of me.” He chuckled some more as if he’d just told a hilarious joke.

“Still, I….” Evan paused, then smiled. If this good-natured man was willing to forgive him, then he was willing to forgive himself for the indiscretion. “Thank you. Your understanding is really appreciated. I’ve just been jumpy lately.”

“No problem, Big Guy. No one got hurt.” The man brushed himself off and looked down at the non-lethal handgun in Evan’s hand. Evan returned the weapon with a soft upturn of the eyebrows. The stranger took it with a simple, “Thank ya!”

A moment of silence passed between them as the redhead placed his gun back into his partially modal coat. It was then that Evan actually began to take in the other guy’s features. He was tall, but not as tall as Evan himself. He had well-styled almost dark-maroon colored hair that was long for a guy but didn’t reach his shoulders. The man looked almost thin, but there was a thickness to his shoulders and arms that whispered about the secret toned figure he probably had hidden underneath his stylish trench coat and white button up. Evan noticed the strange black glove on the unfamiliar man’s left hand and the small ring he wore on his right hand’s thumb. The ring had a small red stone that wasn’t quite ruby, cut into a thin rectangular sliver that ran a centimeter across the center of the silver band. It was something Evan noticed because it was strange to only wear a single glove and the ring was very peculiar looking. He had never seen a design like that, but he admitted that he thought it was sort of clever and stylish.

“My name is Terrance. But all my friends call me Terry.” The redhead spoke and broke the short-lived silence all at once. “You can call me Terry,” he finished.

Evan glanced around quickly to make sure it was safe, then took Proto off and slipped it into his pocket. He brushed out his hair by running his fingers back through his locks and gave his most charming expression to the other man the way he did to everyone when he was introducing himself. “I’m Evan Weld. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Terry.”

Terry laughed, “Do you always talk like that?”

“Like what?” Evan blushed and felt suddenly self-conscious.

“All proper and what not.” Terry gave an expression he hoped would come off as friendly as he meant the jest. “Who says ‘make your acquaintance’ anymore?”

Now Evan’s cheeks were blushed with a deep pink. He had been asked that question many times by the man he was searching for. Ventus often turned to him during conversations and would chide him. Saying, “No one says ‘swell’ or ‘goodie’, you know? And when people get pissed, they scream ‘Damn it!’ or ‘Shit!’. Not ‘Oh, darn!’.”

“Yes, well. It is just how I speak.” That’s what Evan said to Terry. It was a little less feisty than his usual retort to Ventus.

“Haha! You are an interesting guy, Mr. Weld.”

“Evan is fine.”

“Alright. Evan. You’re the man strong enough to pick me up off the ground and polite enough to apologize for it right after. You are an interesting guy.”

Evan shifted in place. “Right, sorry about that. Again.”

“I said it isn’t anything to worry about. Jeeze.” Terry rubbed the back of his head and raised an eyebrow at Evan. “You’re sort of a giant soft-furred grizzly, aren’t ya?”

“Pardon?”

“Oh, nothing.” Terry grinned and looked the six-foot-two man in front of himself over and nodded as though agreeing with himself about something. Then, he changed the subject entirely. “So, what brings you out to Metroville, Evan?”

“I’m looking for someone.”

“Yeah? Who might that be?”

“A friend of mine.”

“What’s his name? Maybe I know him.”

“I doubt it.” Evan shook his head. “I haven’t seen him in a few years.”

“Damn! Really?” Evan looked up at Terry with a slight disapproving look and the man shrugged his shoulders defensively again. “Right, sorry. Guess you don’t care for cussing. Well,” he cleared his throat. “If you haven’t seen him in so long, I’m sure he’ll be happy to see you. Did you just get lost?”

“No, nothing like that,” Evan admitted. “See, he doesn’t really know that I’m looking for him. At least, I don’t think he does.”

Terry gave Evan a confused cock of the head. “He doesn’t? So it's a surprise?”

“Sort of. Only, I don’t know where he is either.” Admitting that he was looking for someone he hadn’t seen in years and not even knowing where that previously mentioned man was sounded a bit off, even to Evan’s own ears.

“So….” Terry crossed his arms. “You’re hunting for a guy. You don’t even know if he’ll remember you and you have no idea where he is.”

Evan’s voice echoed through the alleyway as he suddenly spoke up with passion. “Of course he’ll remember me!” He caught himself and lowered his voice. “It’s just that he left a long while ago and he told me not to-“ he stopped. He shouldn’t tell anyone too much about his circumstance. He was smart enough to realize that.

“Uh-huh. Right. Well.” Terry seemed to be running through his own thoughts now. Evan wondered if the man thought he was some sort of crazy, or a stalker, or worse. After a moment, Terrance finally spoke up about another matter. “No offense, but when is the last time you bathed?”

“That’s so rude!” Evan’s cheeks darkened with a red undertone again. He was about to defend himself when he realized it had been a few days since he was last able to find shelter. Now that he was thinking about it, he was in need of a bath and other necessities. The island boy hung his head and lowered his eyes to stare at his chest in a bit of shame.

Terry seemed to take the hint and sighed. “I don’t mean to come off rude, buddy. But have you been sleeping outside for a while?”

Evan lifted his head and looked at the man with humility and concern. Terry was taken back by how large and blue Evan’s naturally beautiful eyes were. He smiled and scratched the side of his head a little, while looking around. Evan admitted, “I have. I apologize if I’m unpleasant to the senses. I just haven’t had-“

“It’s fine.” Once again, Terry cut Evan off. “Come on. You can come back to my hotel and get cleaned up.”

Evan would have denied the invitation politely as he had nothing to give the other man in exchange, but he somehow ended up without a choice.

Terry had grabbed the tanned male’s hand with his gloveless one and started marching him through the streets. They were back at a rather fine hotel before Evan had really registered that this peculiar stranger was leading him around. Within the hour, Evan had been stripped of his clothes, thrown into a hot bath, and forced to relax with bubbles and a soft sponge.

“I’ll get your clothes cleaned for you,” Terry offered and started gathering up Evan’s things.

“Wait!” Evan jumped from the tub and—naked and covered in soap bubbles—he grabbed his wallet, journal, and Proto from his things and placed them on the wash table beside the tub. “Sorry about that. Just don’t want these washed,” he giggled nervously.

“Right. Right. I get that. Now get that pretty ass of yours back into the tub. You’re soaking the floor.” Terry laughed as he teased, then left once Evan was back under the comfort of the bath water.

 _Pretty… ass…?_ The last time Evan had been complimented so crudely by someone who wasn’t a back-way junker had been when Ventus was still around. All at once, Evan realized how much being around Terrance whatever-his-last-name was making him think about Ventus.

Evan heard the front door to the hotel room shut as Terry ventured off, presumably with Evan’s laundry, and sighed. He stood, locked the door out of defensive habit, and pulled Proto from the table. He placed the device on and scanned the area. No Ghosts. It was peaceful. It was comfortable.

For the first time in months, Evan allowed himself to sink low into a tub, let his guard down a little and let his starved body remember what it was like to forget about his situation and remember the pleasure of intimate memories. His mind went over the day’s events and over the strange but very comfortable man’s appearance and kindness. While considering the man’s behavior and speech patterns, Evan’s thoughts ventured back to Ventus. Then everything was about Ventus. Not about his absence, but about his presence.

Evan moaned lightly as his hands worked over his sore abdomen and sensitive core. He was certain that Ventus was closer than ever, and he imagined that his lover could feel him too. The boy’s memories took him back to a night he hadn’t thought about in far too long, the night the two of them had become bonded for the first time.

Ventus had said that night, that every second there after, the two of them would always have a connection with one another. “Our bond…” he had said. “…Will connect us through time and barriers, and even death.”

It had been a beautiful night, a wonderful time that’s anniversary would be celebrated every week, normally several times. Thinking about these celebrations made Evan’s passion swell and his heart ache with desire and longing.

“I love you,” he spoke to the phantom of Ventus.

“I love you too,” it whispered. It pressed its warmth to Evan until the real man’s body gave out a shudder and his lips whimpered a small cry.

Then, Evan sunk down into the tub and fell into a state of half-sleep. He stayed there until Terry came for him.


	3. Getting Closer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Evan and Terry have spent nearly a month looking for clues with no rewards up to this point. Terry seems reluctant to want to continue journeying with Evan until he agrees to explain the situation a little better. Evan spills some of his secrets but doesn’t question why the man had bothered helping him up until now. Terry agrees to help him search for Ventus a while longer. Then, their luck changes as they hear about a mechanic who works in the Underlands of New Bartland.

Ventus’s shadow had casted a lonely darkness over Evan’s life for years. Finally though, he had a friend who had not only proven to be quite useful, but also seemed to be a good luck charm of sorts. He kept the fear and isolation from overwhelming Evan and since he had been spending time with the taller man, no Ghosts seemed to be able to find him. It was as though Terry had blocked out all the negativity. He had even agreed to travel with Evan as he searched for a friend that he hadn’t seen in years, who was not even expecting him, even though Terry frequently voiced how odd he thought the whole situation was. However, the patient and acceptant man had seemingly grown tired of being led blindly on as time passed. Finally, after nearly a month of feeding, bathing, and otherwise assisting Evan on his trip, Terry finally spoke up.

“Hey. Wait up. I need ta talk to ya.”

Evan had been humming and practically skipping ahead, once again confident that his beloved was growing closer to him with each step. Stopping at the sound of his new comrade’s voice, Evan turned and gave Terry a large smile. “Yes?” he asked. “What is it?”

The redhead rubbed the back of his head and grinded his teeth together just a little behind his tightly pursed lips. Then he relaxed and said plainly, “You need to tell me what’s goin’ on.” He sighed when Evan made a confused look that reminded the shorter guy of the stare of a lost puppy. “What I mean ta say is, I’ve been followin’ you around fer like a while now and I got to know somethin’. What the heck are we even doin’ out here?”

Evan was surprised by Terry’s sudden elevation in tone and question. “I told you already. I can’t-“

“Don’t give me that, Evan!” Terry moved over so that he was face to face with his companion. “You always say ya can’t tell me! Well I says you need to. Or else, I can’t keep followin’ you ‘bout. I got my own life, ya know?”

Terrance watched as the other boy’s brows knitted upwards in a sad way that made the other man feel defensive. Terry raised his hands and tried again, “Look. I like ya. I like doin’ this whole ‘Two Men and the Wild’ thing. But you said that yer friend was in Metroville. Then you said ya felt him in Tint Town. After that, we started exploring the farmlands. We’re on our way to Stokers now!” He gestured towards the direction Evan had been heading down, a poorly paved road that would eventually lead to a small city. “We always take the alleyways and back roads and frankly, I’m okay with it. But damn it, I don’t even know anything about who this _guy_ we’re looking for even is or if you ain’t just leading me round and round the mulberry bush.”

Evan looked at his now flushed-face friend and thought for a second. Before Terry could continue, Evan spoke up. “I’m sorry.”

That caused Terry’s arms to fall to his sides and him to silence after a deep breath.

“I haven’t told you anything, you’re right. I feel terrible about it. You’ve been so very kind to me, and accommodating, but up until now you’ve known next to nothing about me or my journey.”

The raven-haired boy took a seat on the side of the road. He pulled off Proto and stared at it thoughtfully as he contemplated if he was really going to confide in someone else. When his eyes lifted to meet Terry as he took a seat next to Evan, the taller boy smiled. Their eyes met and Evan was sure, _I can trust him. He’s my friend. He’s been there for me and he deserves the truth._

Terry waited patiently with a sort of subtle eagerness that Evan didn’t pick up on. He shifted his feet, leaned forward, and waited to hear the tale unravel. When Evan started to speak, Terry listened intently without so much as blinking. Evan barely noticed as his eyes were always locked on Proto.

“Several years back, I lived with a man named Ventus. He was my best friend.” Evan simplified the truth. Of course Ventus had been so much more, but one truth at a time. “We had lived together for several years and depended on one another for everything. He helped me eat right and helped support me financially. I would help him with his studies, cleaned up the house, and kept him in good health.” Evan paused and his shoulders bounced with a small chuckle. “Ventus’s health was never very good. And he had a bad habit of making things worse. Bad temper and all that.”

Evan sat back on one hand and held Proto up to the sky so that the sun’s light peered through the blue looking-glass and made an aqua tint coat the surface of the boy’s face. The hue meshed well with the blue tips in his hair and made them seem even more vibrant. “One day though, he just left. Almost no explanation or warning. He just…” His voice halted with a twinge of pain swelling behind it. He swallowed the feeling of tears down thickly. “He just wasn’t there anymore.”

Terry watched Evan’s expression soften to something he’d never seen in the other man before, a kind of sadness that couldn’t be masked even by a smile as pure as the one that never seemed to leave Evan’s face. Warmth surged through the lounging man’s shoulder as Terrance placed his hand there.

“He told me not to look for him, but I have to. I know he’s still out there and even after all this time, I know he needs me.” Evan looked toward his friend and their eyes met. There was a small swell of water building in the optimist’s gaze. It nearly pulled a whine from Terry’s throat. He felt such sympathy for the larger man. Evan could feel the other boy’s compassion and shook his head lightly. “You don’t need to feel bad about it. It’s okay. I’ve been fine and I know I’ll find him.”

“What about…?” Terry gulped down the emotions rising in him and regained his usual relaxed composure. He shrugged then pointed down at Proto, which was now in Evan’s lap. “What about that thing?”

“This?” Evan looked down at Proto in surprise. “This is the only thing I still have of Ventus’s. It’s an invention we worked on together.” He laughed. “Well he did most of the work. But he loved using me as his test dummy and always asked me my opinion on things.”

“Really?” Terry wet his lips and grinned. “So, what exactly does ‘Proto’ do?”

“It’s nothing all that special actually,” Evan said and blushed. “It reads body heat.”

“Body heat?”

“Yeah.”

“You mean it has all those colors that tell you where a person’s lyin’ in wait and stuff. Like on those spy movies?”

Evan laughed loudly at that statement. “Haha! Yeah. Kind of like that.”

“So why do you wear it all the time?”

“Well,” Evan thought carefully before answering. He trusted Terry, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to burden the man with that much truth. “Would you believe me if I said that I feel closer to him with it on?”

A sort of lack luster came over Terry’s expression for just a moment. “That all?” Then he thought better of his attitude and stood up again. “Yeah. I guess that makes sense. Kind of cool, but dang.”

Evan stood too and gave Terry a questioning look, but his melancholy was gone. “Hmm?”

“Alrighty. So, we need to go find yer little friend, Ventus right? And then you two can have yer happily ever after?”

“What?” Evan’s well-tanned cheeks flushed a deep red. His ears were tipped in the same color. “Ha-happily ever….”

Terry had already started walking away again. He raised his hand, “You commin’!?”

The two men traveled all the way to the city, Stokers. By the time they had managed to get into town, they were both exhausted from the long walk and hungry. They had only planned for a two-day hike and it ended up being a three-day one. They had run out of food a while ago and were terribly hungry and dehydrated. As soon as they entered the city, Terry located a cheap hotel and ordered delivery for him and his traveling buddy.

Very few more things were brought up about Proto. Terry had asked more about Ventus than anything while they walked. He got the feeling pretty early on that Evan and that guy were more than just friends, but he let it go. Evan had been very happy to talk about his love to someone other than his shadow. Stories of how the two of them had met when Ventus was still a student at the university came up. Evan mentioned how often his roommate had tended to get into fist fights with people considerably larger and stronger than he was, and how Ventus himself was actually quite fragile as a person.

“He was the tougher guy when it came to experience and attitude, but he could rarely back up his tough talk. I think that always made him feel like he had to try harder though,” Evan had mentioned.

However, once the hunger kicked in, the only thing the two men had talked about was food. Speaking of things you like to eat when your hungry had always been a common trope amongst the travelers it seemed, and they knew it would only make their tummies hurt worse, but the topic of chicken salad and pies and delicious ways to prepare potatoes had eaten away nearly a whole day of conversation.

Luckily, they had found shelter and were enjoying the safe and comfortable privileges of a cheap suite. Terry had taken to stripping naked and throwing himself in the shower first. He left his clothes in a pile and moaned loudly in pleasure as he worked all of the sweat and dirt from his body. Evan had embarrassingly tried to ignore the sounds, as he thought they seemed much more promiscuous than he would have liked to admit.

Once Terry was clean, he wandered out bare bottomed and tossed a fresh towel to Evan. “Here ya go! Get clean. It feels great to get the sweat off!”

Terrance had been so optimistic about it; Evan decided he had just forgotten the decency of wrapping his own form with a towel. “Thank you. I will.” With that, Evan had scurried in and started washing himself up. Terry had been right; it felt wonderful to get clean again.

Sure enough, when Evan got out of the bath his clothes and Terry’s were gone. The man had gone to toss them in a local wash spot. After some time to himself, the door opened and Evan greeted his roommate. The food arrived and they feasted. That night, they slept well and through the entire night.

 

The next day, the two men rested from their travels and they decided on a game plan. They would start on the north side of town and they would centipede their way down to the south side. It would only take them a week if they were thorough and made a stop at a few stores to ask around and examine each public area thoroughly. The following day, they commenced their new search for Ventus. 

“This is getting exhausting,” Terry whined after several hours in the heat. “Can’t we just have an operator try and connect us to him?”

“You know we can’t.”

“Why is he hiding again?”

“I told you, I don’t know.”

“So do you ‘feel’ him anywhere around here?” Terry meant it to be a little cruel, but the joke went right over Evan’s head.

“I’m not sure. It just feels like, there’s something in this place that could help lead us to him.”

Terry yawned, then let it escape in a sigh as he leaned again a cart of goods. “Alright, well I think we should call it a night.”

Evan turned towards Terry with a sort of desperate look. “Now? But we could just miss him.”

“Look, Evan, baby! I don’t think we’re gonna miss anything that relevant in the next couple hours. Lets just get back ta the hotel and we’ll try again tomorrow. Okay?”

Evan hung his head a little. “Okay,” he conceded. 

“Great!” Terry jumped up and right into another man’s path. “Oaph!”

The two of them bounced off of each other. Terry caught his balance before falling over but the other man was not so lucky and ended up hitting the ground. His bag dislodged from his shoulder and the contents spread out over the ground.

“Oh my! We’re so sorry,” Evan exclaimed. “Are you all right, sir?”

“Owww. Damn.” The man sat up and rubbed his elbow.

“Oh crap! “ Terry rushed over to help the man up the rest of the way and brushed him off. “I am so sorry about that. I didn’t see ya there.”

“It’s all right,” the man groaned. “No harm done, I think.”

“We do apologize. Please, is there any way for us to make it up to you?” Evan was picking up the man’s things and placing them back into his bag. When he was nearly done, he picked up a small pocket watch. The old brass ticker’s intricate case design wasn’t what got his attention though; it was the insignia on the back of the watch.

The man grabbed his bag and held his hand out for his watch. Evan held the object for a long moment before handing it back to the guy. “It’s not broken, is it?”

“N-no. I mean, I don’t think so.” Evan blinked and then spoke up. “I’m sorry, Sir. We’ve already inconvenienced you, but may I please inquire as to where you found that watch?”

“I bought it. Why?” The man made a suspicious face. Terry readied to defend in case anything happened.

“I’m sorry, it is just that the symbol on the back, it is from my native language.”

“Oh yeah? Well, I don’t know anything about that. It’s just the shop’s logo I think.” The man seemed to relax.

“Logo?” Terry wasn’t following well.

The man turned the watch over to look at the engraved symbol on the back. Terry reached out his neck to try and see it better over the man’s shoulder.

“Shop?” Evan’s eyes were wide with curiosity now. “Please, sir. Can you remember where the shop was?”

Evan had a way of speaking that seemed to calm people down, even after they had suffered a mighty bump from the man’s companion. The stranger smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I remember. It was the old mechanic’s shop down in New Bartland. ‘The Silver Blue Jay’ or something like that. Has the symbol on the sign in front of the store and all over the products.”

“New Bartland? That a little ways away!” Terry had a feeling that he was in for another long trip by the expression on Evan’s face.

“I see. And, do you happen to recall the man who sold you this watch?”

“Whatever for?” The man was getting flustered with all the questions.

“I’m sorry. You see, I’m looking for a friend of mine and-“

“Ah! Well, sorry. No. I don’t recall much about the mechanic himself. Just that he does amazing work on old technology like this watch.”

“I see. Thank you so very much.” Evan gave a small bow of his head. Terry crossed his arms and balanced on his heels. “Please, can we treat you to dinner or something?”

“What?” Terrance nearly spat the word out.

Luckily for him, the man was in a hurry. “No. No. It’s fine. I’m all right. Good luck with your friend.”

After a brief goodbye, the man hurried away to continue his own story.

“Well that was a lot of fun. I’ll be sure to run into some more people in every city we go to. Nice way to make friends.” Terry’s sarcasm was lost to Evan.

Hopeful glee had filled the larger boy’s eyes and his mouth was quivering in a smile hinting a joyous break down. He controlled himself though and simply began skipping off.

“H-hey!? Where are you goin’ in such a hurry?”

“I need to get a new map! Mine doesn’t cover that far East!”

“East? What? You mean you really want to travel all the way to New Bartland? After just seeing a symbol on the back of an old watch? Really?”

“Yes! It’s him! I know it!” Evan nearly sang as he pranced off.

“How can ya know that?”

Evan didn’t answer right away. He rushed to a local shop and purchased a new map with the help of his travel companion. Terry had learned a while ago that Evan refused to use the Network to link into the satellites for a quick and easy GPS. It was one of those things he had just accepted as ‘normal’.

The two men returned to their hotel room and Evan eagerly started mapping out the route they would take. Terry corrected him in a few places where it would be more inconvenient to travel certain roads and sighed when it was all said and done. “I guess that settles it.”

“Thank you,” Evan said in his sweetest tone.

Terry looked up at the doe-eyed boy staring at him passionately and shrugged with a slight blush. “Alright, big eyes. Yer welcome. K? So lets just agree on one thing.”

“Yes?”

“We take a taxi for the first hundred miles at least?”

Evan looked a little nervous then laughed as he glanced back down at the map. “I suppose that would be a lot faster, wouldn’t it?

“Ya. It would. Okay?”

“Sure thing.” Evan smiled then moved around the table to give his friend a big hug. “Thank you so much for staying with me, Terry!”

Terry blushed a little more and fidgeted in the bigger male’s arms. He wiggled and pressed away from Evan. “All right already! No mushy stuff! Cut it out!”

Evan started laughing gleefully and held onto the other boy even tighter for a long moment. He was so excited. Tomorrow, they would set out on the final road towards Ventus! Evan was sure that what he had been seeking for so long would soon come to light. No one could tell him otherwise.

When Evan laid his head down that night to go to sleep, he smiled over at Proto before allowing his eyes to shut. “I’m coming, Ventus. Just wait for me a little while longer. I’m almost there.”


End file.
